Did Trump Leak His Own Tax Returns To A Journalist?

Amid the chaos President Donald Trump's 2005 tax returns created following Tuesday night's "The Rachel Maddow Show," Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston said that Trump may have leaked his own tax returns. Johnston, who claimed that he obtained the document by mail, said, "By the way, let me point out that it's entirely possible that Donald Trump sent this to me. Donald Trump has, over the years, leaked all sorts of things," according to CNBC.

To add to the suspicion of Trump being the one who mailed his own tax returns, the second page of the document obtained by Johnston was stamped "Client Copy," leading many to speculate that those were Trump's own copy.

Read: Do Trump's Tax Returns Reveal About His Financial Ties With Russia

Many suggest that Trump had leaked his own tax returns to divert attention from wiretrapping claims and Obamacare.

Trump, reportedly the first president in 40 years to refuse to release his tax returns, claimed he could not release them while he was under audit. Yet, he did so partially Tuesday night in a preemptive statement by the White House. Zac Petkanas, a senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee, said: “The White House’s willingness to release some tax information when it suits them proves Donald Trump’s audit excuse is a sham. If they can release some of the information, they can release all of the information. The only reason not to release his returns is to hide what’s in them such as financial connections with Russian oligarchs and the Kremlin.”

Last month, a draft copy of Trump’s revised immigration executive order was leaked to the Associated Press that mentioned about targeting the same seven Muslim-majority countries as the original, but clarified that travelers who already have an approved visa were exempt.

Earlier last month, a copy of Trump's draft executive order titled, “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom,” was obtained by the Investigative Fund and the Nation.

Read: All You Need To Know About The Reporter Who Got Hold Of Trump Tax Documents

Among the many leaks, the most controversial for Trump has been the Russian conspiracy allegations. Although Trump has refuted the allegations, he has failed to take adequate steps to eliminate the accusations, according to Washington Times.